Senior Social Worker

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

Full Time - 37.5 Hours Per Week

An opportunity has arisen in this new and exciting team for Senior Social Worker. The successful applicants will work within the team to provide therapeutic interventions with an emphasis on recovery underpinned by appropriate risk management. The work will involve playing an active part in a multi-disciplinary team partnering with other statutory and third sector organisations.

Experience of working with complex mental health needs and of working in secure settings and/or the community would be desirable but enthusiasm for working with this client group is essential.

The social worker post will sit within the senior leadership structure. The post-holder will be actively involved in all service pathways and support the clinical leadership of the service.

The post holder will also be responsible for a clinical caseload that includes risk assessment, intervention and consultation to patients and services supporting the patient. The successful candidate will receive training in specialist forensic risk assessment and formulation to hone their skills.

Working pattern will be Monday to Friday 9am 5pm but some flexibility to meet the needs of this 8-8 service is required.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

Main duties of the job

The West Yorkshire Provider Collaborate for Adult Secure is with its partners across West Yorkshire to improve pathways for forensic service users and support care closer to home. The development of the specialist forensic community team has therefore been developed to support a reduction in length of stay and enhancement of support within the community.

The team focus is on supporting service users with complex needs who may have traditionally been described as hard to engage develop the skills to engage in a range of individual and group community-based treatment activities. It includes service users with a range of complex presentations and will include working with statutory and third sector providers to develop innovative packages of care in the community as an alternative to in-patient care.

The service is committed to supporting excellence through continuing professional development and will work to develop competencies in line with need. Applicants are required to have a current driving license for this post and will work in an agile manner across the locality, utilizing a number of Trust bases. This posts will be considered for secondment / job share/ part-time hours from across the provider collaborative.

If you would like to discuss these posts or organise an informal visit, please contact Laura Gow on Laura.Gow@swyt.nhs.uk or Jo Barber Joanne.Barber@swyt.nhs.uk.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Date posted

10 November 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£43,742 to £50,056 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9378-F0553B

Job locations

Newton Lodge Fieldhead Hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

WF1 3SP


Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Senior Social Worker to join our Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT).

The West Yorkshire Provider Collaborate for Adult Secure is with its partners across West Yorkshire to improve pathways for forensic service users and support care closer to home. The development of the specialist forensic community team has therefore been developed to support a reduction in length of stay and enhancement of support within the community.

The team focus is on supporting service users with complex needs who may have traditionally been described as hard to engage develop the skills to engage in a range of individual and group community-based treatment activities. It includes service users with a range of complex presentations and will include working with statutory and third sector providers to develop innovative packages of care in the community as an alternative to in-patient care.

The post holder will be responsible for a clinical caseload that includes risk assessment, intervention and consultation to services supporting the patient.

The service is an evolving, dynamic service and the post-holder will have opportunities to contribute to service development. The service provides a formulation driven, trauma informed and strengths-based approach to risk management. Clinical decisions and risk management are regularly reviewed together as an MDT.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Clinical

To comply with the post holders professional code and Health Care Professions Council code of ethics and professional conduct and to adhere to national and local policies and procedures.

To work in a specialised autonomous capacity accepting referrals for patients/service users referred to your clinical area. Giving advice and support to other members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To be professionally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work, including management of patients with complex needs.

To plan and prioritise own patient caseload (where appropriate), with highly complex needs, using highly specialist skills.

To work with patients/families to aid their acceptance, understanding and management of their condition/disability. To provide the necessary support required in a sometimes hostile/antagonistic or highly emotional atmosphere.

To possess the necessary skills to implement time management and prioritise own caseload whilst assisting and supporting all therapy staff and members of the MDT, across your own and other clinical areas.

To carry out risk assessments and make recommendations to reduce risk to meet the needs of service users, staff, and the wider service/ organisation.

Manage a complex workload with the support of senior colleagues in accordance with the directorate and other agency policies and procedures, applying a multi-discipline approach.

To undertake planned interventions, as required, across a range of statutory casework.

To ensure that, where appropriate, effective and efficient enforcement action is taken.

Keep up-to-date with research, develop and disseminate greater understanding of evidence based practice, providing professional assistance and guidance to colleagues within the directorate and other agencies as appropriate.

To maintain and develop communication and cooperation with colleagues, individuals and groups in the community and other statutory voluntary agencies.

To participate in training and advisory activities.

To chair, where appropriate casework meetings and other employee meetings.

An expectation that the postholder will participate fully in supervision and appraisals and contribute to the development and implementation of the Service and Team Improvement Plans.

To promote and develop collaborative working with allied health and social care professionals.

Prepare a range of reports on clients, as appropriate, in accordance with policies and procedures.

consultants, senior managers, professional lead, other medical, therapy and nursing staff, social services, voluntary and private agencies.

To be responsible for risk assessment in your own delegated area, ensuring a safe working environment for all staff, patients and members of the general public.

To undertake own continuous professional development, participate in regular clinical and managerial supervision, to organise peer reviews and maintain up to date knowledge of local and national guidance relevant to the area of speciality through research and work within clinical interest groups

Represent the team in a variety of settings/meetings

To prepare a range of reports which meet National Standards and practice requirements.

Organisational/Managerial

To ensure that the service delivery within the team is of a high standard and that all staff are actively involved in all aspects of clinical governance.

Actively influence service changes and development, including the setting up and monitoring of

practice standards and when appropriate taking a lead in implementing them.

To implement an induction programme for new staff.

To network with other Forensic Social Work counterparts across the Integrated Care System.

Managing Resources

To have responsibility for any delegated budgets.

To be responsible for managing the effective use of therapy resources.

Trust Values:

The Trust is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and treatment and expects that all staff treat people e.g, service users, their carers, relatives, friends, colleagues, visitors etc, with dignity and respectat all time. The post holder must all time act in accordance with the Trusts Values:

Honest, open, transparent

Respectful

Person first and in the centre

Improve and be outstanding

Relevant today, ready for tomorrow

Families and carers matter

Safeguarding:

Report any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of children, adults service users, members of their families etc, in accordance with Trust Policy.

Prevent and respond appropriately to abuse and understand own role in this by undertaking Safeguarding training.

Trust policies and commitments to be read in line with the relevant Trust Policy:

All staff employed by the Trust must comply with the Trusts policies and procedures, undertake appropriate training required for their role and commit to:

ensure they are aware of the Whistleblowing Policy and how they raise concerns;

maintain confidentiality, in line with the Trusts Confidentiality Policy and Code of Conduct;

understand their personal responsibilities with regards to data quality for any information which they create, use or process in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Trust Data Protection Policy;

comply with the provisions of The Trusts Health and Safety Policy and Protocol. Ensuring their own safety and that of colleagues, service users and visitors. Know the action to be taken in the event of a fire and must undertake fire training annually;

receive supervision in line with the Trusts Supervision Policy and an annual Appraisal in line with the Trusts Appraisal Policy, during which mandatory, role specific and personal development needs should be identified and agreed;

understand their responsibilities under the Trusts Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the policy;

recognise, respect and support the equality diversity of staff, colleagues, service users, carers and the public. Contribute to a working environment which promotes and responds positively to difference and diversity;

ensure they carry out their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 years, as issued under Section 11 of The Children Act 2004, by being familiar with and adhering to Trust safeguarding policies and participatingin relevanttraining;

comply with their professional responsibilities to develop their practice and deliver care through a Clinical Governance framework (i.e. CPD, Audit, Supervision);

demonstrate, through practice and practical understanding, the importance of the continual development of individual, team and service wide quality improvement;

abide by relevant codes of professional practice, with the organisation taking action when codes of conduct are breached;

work flexibly to meet the needs of the service/organisation, whilst working within a culture of progressive employment practices and commitment to the Investors in People (IiP) Standards.

adhere to the Trusts smoke free policies, which prohibits smoking anywhere on Trust grounds;

being socially responsible by complying with measures that support the Trust in reducing or offsetting our environmental impact;

Identify and report risks, hazards, incidents, accidents and near misses promptly;

In addition to the Trusts own responsibilities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance, for your safety, ALL staff (and contractors) are responsible for ensuring their work adheres to this Code in the delivery of safe patient care.

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the band as directed. The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Senior Social Worker to join our Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT).

The West Yorkshire Provider Collaborate for Adult Secure is with its partners across West Yorkshire to improve pathways for forensic service users and support care closer to home. The development of the specialist forensic community team has therefore been developed to support a reduction in length of stay and enhancement of support within the community.

The team focus is on supporting service users with complex needs who may have traditionally been described as hard to engage develop the skills to engage in a range of individual and group community-based treatment activities. It includes service users with a range of complex presentations and will include working with statutory and third sector providers to develop innovative packages of care in the community as an alternative to in-patient care.

The post holder will be responsible for a clinical caseload that includes risk assessment, intervention and consultation to services supporting the patient.

The service is an evolving, dynamic service and the post-holder will have opportunities to contribute to service development. The service provides a formulation driven, trauma informed and strengths-based approach to risk management. Clinical decisions and risk management are regularly reviewed together as an MDT.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Clinical

To comply with the post holders professional code and Health Care Professions Council code of ethics and professional conduct and to adhere to national and local policies and procedures.

To work in a specialised autonomous capacity accepting referrals for patients/service users referred to your clinical area. Giving advice and support to other members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To be professionally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work, including management of patients with complex needs.

To plan and prioritise own patient caseload (where appropriate), with highly complex needs, using highly specialist skills.

To work with patients/families to aid their acceptance, understanding and management of their condition/disability. To provide the necessary support required in a sometimes hostile/antagonistic or highly emotional atmosphere.

To possess the necessary skills to implement time management and prioritise own caseload whilst assisting and supporting all therapy staff and members of the MDT, across your own and other clinical areas.

To carry out risk assessments and make recommendations to reduce risk to meet the needs of service users, staff, and the wider service/ organisation.

Manage a complex workload with the support of senior colleagues in accordance with the directorate and other agency policies and procedures, applying a multi-discipline approach.

To undertake planned interventions, as required, across a range of statutory casework.

To ensure that, where appropriate, effective and efficient enforcement action is taken.

Keep up-to-date with research, develop and disseminate greater understanding of evidence based practice, providing professional assistance and guidance to colleagues within the directorate and other agencies as appropriate.

To maintain and develop communication and cooperation with colleagues, individuals and groups in the community and other statutory voluntary agencies.

To participate in training and advisory activities.

To chair, where appropriate casework meetings and other employee meetings.

An expectation that the postholder will participate fully in supervision and appraisals and contribute to the development and implementation of the Service and Team Improvement Plans.

To promote and develop collaborative working with allied health and social care professionals.

Prepare a range of reports on clients, as appropriate, in accordance with policies and procedures.

consultants, senior managers, professional lead, other medical, therapy and nursing staff, social services, voluntary and private agencies.

To be responsible for risk assessment in your own delegated area, ensuring a safe working environment for all staff, patients and members of the general public.

To undertake own continuous professional development, participate in regular clinical and managerial supervision, to organise peer reviews and maintain up to date knowledge of local and national guidance relevant to the area of speciality through research and work within clinical interest groups

Represent the team in a variety of settings/meetings

To prepare a range of reports which meet National Standards and practice requirements.

Organisational/Managerial

To ensure that the service delivery within the team is of a high standard and that all staff are actively involved in all aspects of clinical governance.

Actively influence service changes and development, including the setting up and monitoring of

practice standards and when appropriate taking a lead in implementing them.

To implement an induction programme for new staff.

To network with other Forensic Social Work counterparts across the Integrated Care System.

Managing Resources

To have responsibility for any delegated budgets.

To be responsible for managing the effective use of therapy resources.

Trust Values:

The Trust is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and treatment and expects that all staff treat people e.g, service users, their carers, relatives, friends, colleagues, visitors etc, with dignity and respectat all time. The post holder must all time act in accordance with the Trusts Values:

Honest, open, transparent

Respectful

Person first and in the centre

Improve and be outstanding

Relevant today, ready for tomorrow

Families and carers matter

Safeguarding:

Report any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of children, adults service users, members of their families etc, in accordance with Trust Policy.

Prevent and respond appropriately to abuse and understand own role in this by undertaking Safeguarding training.

Trust policies and commitments to be read in line with the relevant Trust Policy:

All staff employed by the Trust must comply with the Trusts policies and procedures, undertake appropriate training required for their role and commit to:

ensure they are aware of the Whistleblowing Policy and how they raise concerns;

maintain confidentiality, in line with the Trusts Confidentiality Policy and Code of Conduct;

understand their personal responsibilities with regards to data quality for any information which they create, use or process in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Trust Data Protection Policy;

comply with the provisions of The Trusts Health and Safety Policy and Protocol. Ensuring their own safety and that of colleagues, service users and visitors. Know the action to be taken in the event of a fire and must undertake fire training annually;

receive supervision in line with the Trusts Supervision Policy and an annual Appraisal in line with the Trusts Appraisal Policy, during which mandatory, role specific and personal development needs should be identified and agreed;

understand their responsibilities under the Trusts Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the policy;

recognise, respect and support the equality diversity of staff, colleagues, service users, carers and the public. Contribute to a working environment which promotes and responds positively to difference and diversity;

ensure they carry out their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 years, as issued under Section 11 of The Children Act 2004, by being familiar with and adhering to Trust safeguarding policies and participatingin relevanttraining;

comply with their professional responsibilities to develop their practice and deliver care through a Clinical Governance framework (i.e. CPD, Audit, Supervision);

demonstrate, through practice and practical understanding, the importance of the continual development of individual, team and service wide quality improvement;

abide by relevant codes of professional practice, with the organisation taking action when codes of conduct are breached;

work flexibly to meet the needs of the service/organisation, whilst working within a culture of progressive employment practices and commitment to the Investors in People (IiP) Standards.

adhere to the Trusts smoke free policies, which prohibits smoking anywhere on Trust grounds;

being socially responsible by complying with measures that support the Trust in reducing or offsetting our environmental impact;

Identify and report risks, hazards, incidents, accidents and near misses promptly;

In addition to the Trusts own responsibilities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance, for your safety, ALL staff (and contractors) are responsible for ensuring their work adheres to this Code in the delivery of safe patient care.

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the band as directed. The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree or equivalent in Diploma in Social Work, or equivalent recognised by the Central Council for Education & Training in Social Work
  • Current valid HCPC registration.

Desirable

  • MSC/Diploma in relevant area.

Training

Essential

  • Evidence of continuing professional development and post graduate training in relevant area.
  • Have demonstrable competence to work at Masters or Advanced Level.
  • Experience of managing and assessing risk whilst working independently.

Desirable

  • Management or leadership training.
  • Risk Assessment training.
  • Audit training.

Physical Attributes

Essential

  • Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
  • A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
  • A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).

Special Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • Excellent leadership skills.
  • Excellent teaching skills.
  • Supervision skills.
  • Ability to demonstrate highly specialised clinical reasoning and treatment skills.
  • Excellent team working skills.
  • Proven experience of time management.
  • Excellent Prioritisation skills.
  • Negotiating skills.
  • Knowledge of local and national guidance relevant to clinical area.

Desirable

  • Basic IT skills.

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive appropriate post-registration experience relevant to clinical area.
  • Experience in supervising and managing staff.

Personal Attributes

Essential

  • Ability to risk assess and deal with health and safety matters for own and others work area and caseloads.
  • Ability to work autonomously.
  • Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service possibly including evenings and weekend working.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree or equivalent in Diploma in Social Work, or equivalent recognised by the Central Council for Education & Training in Social Work
  • Current valid HCPC registration.

Desirable

  • MSC/Diploma in relevant area.

Training

Essential

  • Evidence of continuing professional development and post graduate training in relevant area.
  • Have demonstrable competence to work at Masters or Advanced Level.
  • Experience of managing and assessing risk whilst working independently.

Desirable

  • Management or leadership training.
  • Risk Assessment training.
  • Audit training.

Physical Attributes

Essential

  • Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post.
  • A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
  • A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).

Special Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • Excellent leadership skills.
  • Excellent teaching skills.
  • Supervision skills.
  • Ability to demonstrate highly specialised clinical reasoning and treatment skills.
  • Excellent team working skills.
  • Proven experience of time management.
  • Excellent Prioritisation skills.
  • Negotiating skills.
  • Knowledge of local and national guidance relevant to clinical area.

Desirable

  • Basic IT skills.

Experience

Essential

  • Extensive appropriate post-registration experience relevant to clinical area.
  • Experience in supervising and managing staff.

Personal Attributes

Essential

  • Ability to risk assess and deal with health and safety matters for own and others work area and caseloads.
  • Ability to work autonomously.
  • Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service possibly including evenings and weekend working.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Newton Lodge Fieldhead Hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

WF1 3SP


Employer's website

https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Newton Lodge Fieldhead Hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

WF1 3SP


Employer's website

https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Jo Barber

joanne.barber@swyt.nhs.uk

07384248875

Date posted

10 November 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£43,742 to £50,056 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9378-F0553B

Job locations

Newton Lodge Fieldhead Hospital

Ouchthorpe Lane

Wakefield

WF1 3SP


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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